“So… what brings you to see me?” he asked.

“I’ve come to discuss the matter of Nidhogg, Your Majesty...” Star began.

“Nidhogg? You mean the dragon who once laid waste to Atlantia?” the King asked, his brow rising.

“That is correct, Your Majesty. I believe Nidhogg is the root of the disturbances happening across Valhalla. And... the one responsible for the rift in Atlantia’s sky.”

“Hm...” King Nicolas murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

He rose from his throne without another word and began walking down the long hall. Star and her companions—Klara, Siegfried, and Friedrich—followed close behind. The King led them into the palace’s grand library.

As they stepped inside, Star was momentarily taken aback by its splendor. Towering bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, filled with countless tomes. Golden chandeliers cast warm light across polished floors, and elegant reading tables stood in perfect rows—ready for study or reflection.

The King approached one of the bookshelves and pulled down a particular volume. He made his way to the central table and took a seat.

The title read: The Loop: Eternal Cycle of Life.

“This book was written by my ancestor—Queen Savanah the First,” he said, running his fingers across the aged cover. “She wrote it before she was murdered by Nibelung two thousand years ago.”

Star and the others fell silent.

“After her death, her daughter, Queen Savanah the Second, continued the work. But after she perished during the Great War, the contents changed. Copies of this book scattered across Atlantia. Only the one in this palace has remained untouched for millennia.”

“If I may ask, Your Majesty,” Klara said hesitantly, “what does the book contain?”

The King’s answer came without hesitation.

“It holds the secrets of the universe.”

Klara’s breath caught. For a moment, the world around her fell quiet. Her lifelong obsession—to uncover the universe’s mysteries—stood before her in a single book. And yet, she knew it wouldn’t be as beautiful as she had dreamed. Knowledge came with a price.

“You understand the cost, don’t you?” the King said, his gaze steady on her. “If you read this book?”

“I... I do, Your Majesty,” Klara replied softly.

“That’s why I won’t read its entirety,” he assured her. “Only the section regarding Nidhogg.”

He opened the book, pages rustling gently in the quiet room. “You’ve heard the stories of Nidhogg, I presume. But do you know where he truly comes from?”

Siegfried, Klara, and Friedrich shook their heads.

“Nidhogg is a dragon who sleeps beneath the roots of the Tree of Life,” the King began. “When Nibelung laid waste to Atlantia long ago, he awakened Nidhogg and brought him to the surface by opening the Dimensional Rift.”

“The tear you see in the skies of Atlantia... It’s the very same rift, still open. Humans cannot close it. Only an Aeon, or the Father of Time himself, can fully seal a Dimensional Rift.”

“If Nidhogg awakens again,” he continued gravely, “the rift will widen, and he will rise once more to wreak havoc. Valhalla—situated in Atlantia’s heart—will be the first to fall. And if Valhalla falls, the rest will follow.”

He turned to Star, his voice gentle but resolute. “Before you face Nidhogg, I urge you to consider this. You once fought alongside the Blonde Hero... but you are not as strong as you were then. Remember what’s at stake—for your friends.”

Star lowered her gaze, her hand unconsciously clenched at her side.

“I... will give it careful thought, Your Majesty. I don’t want Atlantia to fall again—not to Nidhogg, nor to the Demon King. I must protect everyone.”

King Nicolas smiled softly.

“You haven’t changed, Star. Just like the stories I read as a child... You’re still you. Don’t worry. You still have time to choose your path.”

But time may not wait.